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A Rambling Man…

// February 23rd, 2010 // No Comments » // Uncategorized

I finally got around to watching the last episode of 6 Feet Under.  Fuck I love that show.

So I’m watching it and just tearing up.   Last night, same thing.  Watching One Tree Hill and outright crying.  That’s what good writing does to you.  Gets down deep in your gut and moves you.

Because really, there are two kinds of writers.  Those who are doing it for the money, and those that strive for true beauty.  It’s easy to spot the former.  They’re everywhere, and they’re usually pretty terrible.   But the latter… the real writers, they breathe, sweat and bleed their craft.   Those are the ones you have to watch out for.   It’s a dangerous man who can make you shed tears with naught but the stroke of a pen.  It is a vengeful goddess who can wrap you around her finger with but a few simple words purred from her lips.

It is the greatest of honors to be a writer.  We have the ability to shape reality in most minute, almost imperceptible of ways.  We craft the bed time stories that rock you to sleep and spin your dreams.  We weave the music that moves your feet and spin the laughter from your tortured soul.  We pass on your traditions and faiths.  And when the empires have fallen and the soldiers have bled for our sins, it is we who write the history books and sing their praises.  Writers shape the world of your dreams while you’re still dreaming.

But lest we believe ourselves Gods, fate is all to quick to remind us of our folly.  History’s greatest scribes have often died penniless and drunken scoundrels.   In the end they are left only with their legacies; the stories the wove, the fiction they birthed.  A worthy trade I think.

When my time comes – hopefully some easy Sunday morning far, far away from here- I hope they’ll say of me

“He was a bastard if every I met one, but god damn he made me laugh.

I imagine I’ll be in good company.

“It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.”  -walt disney

Politics In Comics

// January 17th, 2010 // No Comments » // Comics, Movies, Scifi, Television, short fiction

One of the things I’ve had to learn to accept as a Conservative writer is that I’m pretty much alone.

Not totally mind you.  There are others out there.  We have decoder rings and communicate through smoke signals (it’s the only way to be secure).

But regardless of what medium you operate in- books, movies, stand-up comedy or comic books-  writers tend to be liberal.   In and of itself that isn’t a problem.  It would be ignorant of me to suggest that no one should be allowed to express their beliefs in comics– ignorant, and to be sure, hypocritical. Good writing should affect you deeply and will always make you think, even if you disagree.

So I’m not talking about censorship.  I’m talking about ugliness.

More and more lately, I find myself having to make excuses for writers of whom I am a fan.  No, I won’t name anyone.  I read comments both online and even in comics that basically insult me as a fan and a consumer.   I realize that a majority of the writing community is left-leaning, but why do they assume that their audience is as well?  I won’t throw polls and statistics at you, but the majority of Americans are right leaning on some level (which isn’t to say totally).  But even if we were only 40% of your audience, why would someone want to insult us for a cheap laugh?  It’s the equivalent of going to a Klan rally and telling black jokes.  It may be funny to a few people who think that way, but to the rest of us, it’s just sad.

It’s hard to look at someone you used to admire and think that they have no problem with insulting you just because you disagree with them. When other people do it, I get angry.  But in these situations, well- it just makes me sad.

The Comics community is pretty insular.  These days everything feels like a war.  Like sides are trying to get you to choose between them in a violent, grizzly game of Red Rover, Red Rover.    Do we as fans and writers need to be like that?  Isn’t the industry on unstable ground as it is?

I’m not saying we should hold hands and hug or something.  But maybe we should leave the politics to the news networks.

Just saying.